Analytical essay of “Let There Be Dark” by Paul Bogard

In “Let There Be Dark”, Paul Bogard synthesizes a compelling dissertation of the fundamental use of darkness in our daily life. Although some detractors may believe that lighting up the world is part of the evolutionary process, the arguments set forth in the article dismiss such romantic critics as excessively dogmatic in their provincial ideology. One of the broader notions presented in the essay is that we need to bring darkness again into our lives for our greater good. Bogard adroitly delivers a cogent argument to sway his readers by using powerful but calculated diction, appealing to heartfelt emotions and implying broad repercussions.

Throughout the article, Bogard uses powerful word choice to sway the reader that turning off the lights has more benefits than someone may think, going from human activities to ecological problems he mentions “ecological light pollution is like the bulldozer of the night, wrecking habitat and disrupting ecosystems several years in the making”-Bogard 4. Bogard calls the lights the “bulldozer of the night,” by using such tremendous word he makes the reader think of the damage the light is causing to the ecosystems that had taken an enormous amount of time to be made and with a blink of an eye everything can be gone.

Similar to many adept editorial writers, Bogard attempts to continually expound the magnitude of his argument by asserting the far reaching negative consequences of the increasing lightness of the nights. pointing out that “Sleep disorders have been linked to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and depression…” -Bogard 3. Bogard lists just a few of the many diseases a person may suffer from not having enough sleep, inviting the reader to take their actions into consideration. Bogard then passes from personal health issues to world economic problems, by stating that “Much of this light is wasted energy, which means wasted dollars.” -Bogard 6. By putting forward this information Bogard makes the reader question if it is really necessary to light the nights up

Lastly, Bogard further deliberately supplements his arguments by appealing to heartfelt emotions: “In a world awash with electronic light… how would Van Gogh have given the world his “starry night”? Who knows what this vision of the night might inspire in each of us, in our children or grandchildren?” -Bogard 5. By not only mentioning one of the greatest artists in history, but also our legacy, Bogard appeals to our emotions and shows what effects the lighted nights might have on our soulful life. Another example of him using our legacy to make us more conscious comes when he says that “Those of us over 35 are perhaps among the last generation to have known truly dark nights” -Bogard 5 writing this, Bogard makes us think of the nights our children will be looking at, without being able to know a truly dark night like in the old times..

Undoubtedly Paul Bogard is no amateur author. Not only does he employ emotions, word choices and repercussions to build a coherent argument, but he also does so purposefully and proficiently. Bogard’s adroit use of persuasive literary devices and tactics guarantees that readers will be convinced of his conviction that nights should stay dark for the benefit of every living cell.